Wicked will be performing at Capitol Theatre – Utah from July 19, 2012 through August 26, 2012. Wicked tickets could benefit Salt Lake City students. Salt Lake City School District patrons can score a “wicked” deal this holiday season — tickets to one of Broadway’s hottest musicals and a donation to the district, all in one purchase.

Parents, students and anyone else interested in the smash musical “Wicked” — coming to Salt Lake City in July and August — will soon be able to purchase tickets to the show while simultaneously donating to the district’s education foundation.

The sale is expected to raise thousands for the district by selling 900 tickets, according to district spokesman Michael Williams. Previous sales for shows such as “Mary Poppins” and “The Lion King” have netted big bucks ­— about $50,000 over four years.

“For a while we turn our offices into a ticket master,” Williams joked.

The sale of traveling show tickets has been used to benefit Utah nonprofits for more than a decade, starting with the musical “Rent,” according to Elisabeth Nebeker of MagicSpace Entertainment, which books the Broadway Across America tours. Nonprofits buy tickets at a discounted group rate, then sell them at face value with revenues benefiting their organizations.

For “Wicked,” Salt Lake is joined by the Canyons School District, which joins the fundraiser for the first time. The Granite School District now is considering a fundraiser during another show run, Nebeker said.

With school budgets skinnier than ever, districts are turning to fundraisers such as the “Wicked” sale to raise additional dollars for programs beyond the core curriculum, Williams said. Many districts have started their own 501(c)3 foundations to help pay for programs taxpayer dollars will not fund.

The foundation uses the funds raised from touring shows to pay for arts and music programs in the district, Williams said. Schools apply for aid, which they can use, say, to build scenery and make costumes for a musical or secure stage rights.

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